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have to explain to anyone why he was carrying an unconscious Natasha.
    Taking the stairs two at a time he reached her floor easily and made his way to the front door of her apartment. He had no idea if she had a roommate. If she did it would probably complicate things…
    He couldn’t stop the small laugh that escaped him. It was ridiculous. Here he was on a job, his orders were simple and yet he had managed to get himself this badly entangled… After just a few days. If his brother or his father could see him now they’d be disappointed.
    It was enough to kill the laughter on his lips. The mere thought of the disappointment that he would be to his family was a sobering thought and one he didn’t like to have. The only person who had ever thought anything of him was his mother. She was the only one who believed he could be better than the other men in his family. That he was worth more. That he didn’t have to throw his life away because its what everyone else was doing at the time.
    But if she knew what you were doing now she’d hate it… She wouldn’t forgive you.
    The little voice in his mind sent a stab of pain right through his gut. It was enough to almost double him over as though someone had punched him in the gut. The sudden jerk of movement caused Natasha to stir again. She didn’t wake and didn’t say anything but it was enough to pull Sam from his intense thoughts.
    He shoved the key in the lock and pushed the door open. The apartment was dark and he couldn’t hear anyone else inside. He crept in and closed the door behind him, careful not to let the door slam. He carried Natasha down the hall and stopped at the first door in confusion. He had no idea which room was hers and the last thing he wanted was to spend his time knocking on the doors.
    Carefully he pushed open the door and stared inside, his eyes raking over the contents of the bedroom. It wasn’t until he saw a picture of Natasha on the night stand with an older woman that he was confident to say it was her room. He carried her in and set her softly on the bed. His hands working quickly to pull her shoes off and dump them on the floor.
    He stopped there, his eyes raking over her sleeping form. She was beautiful. The realisation hit him and killed all other thoughts in his head. He couldn’t remember the last time he had looked at a woman and thought she was truly beautiful… All the girls he knew were too fake, too much pretence and he hated it. But Natasha was different.
    He pulled the bedspread up and over her, leaving her in her clothes. The last thing he wanted was to panic her when she woke up. And he had no idea how much of the night that she would remember. He didn’t want her to worry that Ian had succeeded.
    He started to stand when her small hand gripped his wrist. She clung to him and he could feel the fear that radiated from her body. Sam had no idea where it had even come from but he paused and stared down at her.
    “Please don’t go… Please stay with me. I don’t want to be alone. Don’t leave me alone with her like this.”
    It was a dream. It had to be a dream. There was no other explanation for it. He curled his fingers around hers and pushed her hand back down by her side. But again she clutched at him, this time her eyes were open and the terror was only to clear to see. 
    “Please stay with me.” She pleaded with him before dropping back against the pillows.
    Sam contemplated simply leaving. She was obviously having a nightmare and it wasn’t him she was looking at. She wasn’t asking him to stay. But what if she had an adverse reactions to the drugs during the night? What if she was sick and there was no one here to help her? He couldn’t in good conscience leave her like this…
    Deep down he knew it was a lie. He wanted to stay. Wanted to watch her as she slept. He wanted her to ask him to stay. But it was easier to pretend, easier to say he was doing it for her own good.
    He pulled his t-shirt off over his